Am I too old at 51 to take my full bike test!
Discussion
Am I too old at 51 to take my full bike test?
I did take my CBT in my late 20's with a plan to take my full bike test but never continued for one reason and another.
Then 2 years ago my girlfriends Mum asked me to sell her Vespa ET2, following a stoke which meant she couldn't get it off the stand. I'd done a few jobs (i.e.changed the battery) on the bike over the years for her. She bought it off a family friend in 2004 when it was 3 month old and kept it all that time. She had every MOT certificate, service receipt, etc. and it was in very good condition with only 4k miles. So I bought it and use it to pop around town time all the time, rarely using my car in the summer.
Then after visiting Annecy and Chamonix in the summer and seeing all the touring bikes, it sort of piqued my interest in perhaps taking my full test and getting a bigger bike.
Anyone else taken their full test in their 50's? No..... it's not a mid-life crisis!
I did take my CBT in my late 20's with a plan to take my full bike test but never continued for one reason and another.
Then 2 years ago my girlfriends Mum asked me to sell her Vespa ET2, following a stoke which meant she couldn't get it off the stand. I'd done a few jobs (i.e.changed the battery) on the bike over the years for her. She bought it off a family friend in 2004 when it was 3 month old and kept it all that time. She had every MOT certificate, service receipt, etc. and it was in very good condition with only 4k miles. So I bought it and use it to pop around town time all the time, rarely using my car in the summer.
Then after visiting Annecy and Chamonix in the summer and seeing all the touring bikes, it sort of piqued my interest in perhaps taking my full test and getting a bigger bike.
Anyone else taken their full test in their 50's? No..... it's not a mid-life crisis!
I passed mine two years ago, I'm 56.
It's something I've always wanted to do right back to when I was 16, all sorts of reasons why I didn't - the usual stuff. I guess I got to the point where it was now or never.
I fart around on an SV650 and 1979 Triumph - it's great. It's hard to explain the joy of being on a bike - but you'll get it.
After my CBT I did six months on a 125 - probably useful, once you get on something bigger it's a whole different experience.
It's something I've always wanted to do right back to when I was 16, all sorts of reasons why I didn't - the usual stuff. I guess I got to the point where it was now or never.
I fart around on an SV650 and 1979 Triumph - it's great. It's hard to explain the joy of being on a bike - but you'll get it.
After my CBT I did six months on a 125 - probably useful, once you get on something bigger it's a whole different experience.
I am a motorcycle instructor and have had lots of customers over 50. Be ready to accept it may take a little bit longer to learn the basic skills than it would have done 30 years ago. Once you have the bike under control, your years of road experience will help you through MOD2. (EDIT, just re-read, looks like you have experience on a bike, so ignore that longer to learn comment).
79 is the oldest for their first CBT that I've seen and, 73 (I think) is the oldest for full licence. Although I wouldn't recommend leaving it that late.
79 is the oldest for their first CBT that I've seen and, 73 (I think) is the oldest for full licence. Although I wouldn't recommend leaving it that late.
d hobby anyway. Definitely not too old.
I found learning to ride a bike was ( and still is) a great experience.
After years of driving fast cars I found i just wasn't enjoying it much and bikes have given me that back.
You can have enormous fun on a bike even at road legal speeds as the sense of involvement is so much greater. Each situation and each corner ( for me at least) has to be concentrated on to get it correct. And even if pootling you get a greater feeling of being present in your surroundings if that makes sense.
If I just want to get from A to B in automaton mode I'll drive the car. But if I want to experience it I'll take the bike.
Learning new skills is also proven to stave off mental decline!
Your question did get me thinking about "born again biker" accident stats though. I would imagine we've all heard things along the lines of " those old geezers who get a mid life crisis and ride straight into a hedge"
But I would have thought experience built up from years on the road giving you that 6th sense of what people are going to do, combined with the passing of the madness of youth would make older riders safer.
I tried looking up some figures and they seem to show that riders in the 50+ age group do have a high number of fatalities.
But i can't find anything on accidents as a percentage of the number of riders of that age group. I get the impression that the number of older riders is much higher which would account for it but can't find stats to back that up.
I also can't find stats related to accidents and the age at which people learn. It would be interesting to know the figures and then either prove to mrs aigal she was wrong or hide them never to be mentioned again.
I found learning to ride a bike was ( and still is) a great experience.
After years of driving fast cars I found i just wasn't enjoying it much and bikes have given me that back.
You can have enormous fun on a bike even at road legal speeds as the sense of involvement is so much greater. Each situation and each corner ( for me at least) has to be concentrated on to get it correct. And even if pootling you get a greater feeling of being present in your surroundings if that makes sense.
If I just want to get from A to B in automaton mode I'll drive the car. But if I want to experience it I'll take the bike.
Learning new skills is also proven to stave off mental decline!
Your question did get me thinking about "born again biker" accident stats though. I would imagine we've all heard things along the lines of " those old geezers who get a mid life crisis and ride straight into a hedge"
But I would have thought experience built up from years on the road giving you that 6th sense of what people are going to do, combined with the passing of the madness of youth would make older riders safer.
I tried looking up some figures and they seem to show that riders in the 50+ age group do have a high number of fatalities.
But i can't find anything on accidents as a percentage of the number of riders of that age group. I get the impression that the number of older riders is much higher which would account for it but can't find stats to back that up.
I also can't find stats related to accidents and the age at which people learn. It would be interesting to know the figures and then either prove to mrs aigal she was wrong or hide them never to be mentioned again.
I am glad you kept the Vespa as it sounds like it's in good condition.
I'd been away from bikes for years and wish I'd got back on them sooner. I phoned up on spec. and the riding school had an Instructor free and after whizzing around the training ground for a while the Instructor suggested out on the road on a bigger bike.
I reckon you'll pass the tests easily and may want to consider some advanced lessons. I found the Roadcraft book a bit of a slog this time and may buy an older edition.
I'd been away from bikes for years and wish I'd got back on them sooner. I phoned up on spec. and the riding school had an Instructor free and after whizzing around the training ground for a while the Instructor suggested out on the road on a bigger bike.
I reckon you'll pass the tests easily and may want to consider some advanced lessons. I found the Roadcraft book a bit of a slog this time and may buy an older edition.
Sam Aigal said:
Definitely not too old.
I found learning to ride a bike was ( and still is) a great experience.
After years of driving fast cars I found i just wasn't enjoying it much and bikes have given me that back.
You can have enormous fun on a bike even at road legal speeds as the sense of involvement is so much greater. Each situation and each corner ( for me at least) has to be concentrated on to get it correct. And even if pootling you get a greater feeling of being present in your surroundings if that makes sense.
If I just want to get from A to B in automaton mode I'll drive the car. But if I want to experience it I'll take the bike.
Learning new skills is also proven to stave off mental decline!
Your question did get me thinking about "born again biker" accident stats though. I would imagine we've all heard things along the lines of " those old geezers who get a mid life crisis and ride straight into a hedge"
But I would have thought experience built up from years on the road giving you that 6th sense of what people are going to do, combined with the passing of the madness of youth would make older riders safer.
I tried looking up some figures and they seem to show that riders in the 50+ age group do have a high number of fatalities.
But i can't find anything on accidents as a percentage of the number of riders of that age group. I get the impression that the number of older riders is much higher which would account for it but can't find stats to back that up.
I also can't find stats related to accidents and the age at which people learn. It would be interesting to know the figures and then either prove to mrs aigal she was wrong or hide them never to be mentioned again.
The Born Again Biker single vehicle accident stats on rural roads was in the IAM Mag around 2012. The cover was a sportsbike or two leaning over on a corner. I've probably still got it somewhere.I found learning to ride a bike was ( and still is) a great experience.
After years of driving fast cars I found i just wasn't enjoying it much and bikes have given me that back.
You can have enormous fun on a bike even at road legal speeds as the sense of involvement is so much greater. Each situation and each corner ( for me at least) has to be concentrated on to get it correct. And even if pootling you get a greater feeling of being present in your surroundings if that makes sense.
If I just want to get from A to B in automaton mode I'll drive the car. But if I want to experience it I'll take the bike.
Learning new skills is also proven to stave off mental decline!
Your question did get me thinking about "born again biker" accident stats though. I would imagine we've all heard things along the lines of " those old geezers who get a mid life crisis and ride straight into a hedge"
But I would have thought experience built up from years on the road giving you that 6th sense of what people are going to do, combined with the passing of the madness of youth would make older riders safer.
I tried looking up some figures and they seem to show that riders in the 50+ age group do have a high number of fatalities.
But i can't find anything on accidents as a percentage of the number of riders of that age group. I get the impression that the number of older riders is much higher which would account for it but can't find stats to back that up.
I also can't find stats related to accidents and the age at which people learn. It would be interesting to know the figures and then either prove to mrs aigal she was wrong or hide them never to be mentioned again.
I should imagine the OP given their car and Vespa experience should be fine getting their bike test and may already want to be considering the next stage(s) of training.
Took mine at 55 and love it, should have done it years ago.
Two other peolple who work for us took their test in their 50s and love it.
My wife is 46 and taking hers now.
If I had done it when I was in my twenty’s I would probably ended in a bad way like a couple of friends, hopefully I’m a bit more sensible now.
Two other peolple who work for us took their test in their 50s and love it.
My wife is 46 and taking hers now.
If I had done it when I was in my twenty’s I would probably ended in a bad way like a couple of friends, hopefully I’m a bit more sensible now.
Edited by Billy2023 on Wednesday 10th April 22:15
OverSteery said:
I am a motorcycle instructor and have had lots of customers over 50. Be ready to accept it may take a little bit longer to learn the basic skills than it would have done 30 years ago. Once you have the bike under control, your years of road experience will help you through MOD2. (EDIT, just re-read, looks like you have experience on a bike, so ignore that longer to learn comment).
79 is the oldest for their first CBT that I've seen and, 73 (I think) is the oldest for full licence. Although I wouldn't recommend leaving it that late.
Sounds like someone who waited for their mother (or wife) to die, before going against thier wishes....No? 79 is the oldest for their first CBT that I've seen and, 73 (I think) is the oldest for full licence. Although I wouldn't recommend leaving it that late.
I have a question. Have you ever come across anyone who passed a moped test?
I took mine at 16, in order to give my girlfriend lifts on the back legally, but have never met anyone else that bothered.
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